zulu.223.colonel
I-Iron Lady
Sinethulela isosha lowesimame lokuqala ukuphatha uMbutho wezokuVikela wakuleli…
indaba nguDAVID MACGREGOR
izithombe nguMARIUS SULLIVAN@LIVEWIRE
UNONTOBEKO Mpaxa oneminyaka engu-41 futhi ongumama ongayedwana wayeyishoshozela lezombusazwe esengumfundi ngeminyaka yo-1980. Kwadingeka ukuba abeke eceleni amaphupho akhe okufundela ubudokotela weqa umngcele wayoqeqeshelwa ukuba yisosha loMkhonto weSizwe.
Emva kwalokho wajoyina iSANDF – lapho athola khona ukuthi umzabalazo wakhe awukapheli.
“Ngabe ngiqamba amanga uma ngithi ukukhushulwa kwami kwiSANDF kwaba yinto elula. Ukuba sembuthweni wezempi wumsebenzi othathwa njengowabesilisa. Nami-ke emva kokudidiyelwa kwemibutho, kwadingeka ukuba ngiyilwele indawo yami.”
UNontobeko wayengakuthandi ukuba ahlale ehhovisi afake i-uniform yamasosha kodwa wayefuna ukuba yisosha elizolwa.
Njengamanje njengoba le ntokazi isingu-Colonel wokuqala wesimame ngaphansi kombutho weSANDF lapho kuqeqeshwa khona amasosha ePort Elizabeth - uMpaxa uphethe izinkulungwane ngezinkulungwane zamasosha asezikhungweni ezise-Eastern Cape – kubandakanya nalezo ezaziyizabelo.
Ngonyaka odlule, le ntokazi edume ikakhulu kozakwabo besilisa ngokuthi ngu-“Iron Lady” yalungiselela ithimba lamasosha elaba yimpumelelo enkulu eSudan lapho lalibhekele khona ukuthula.
Emva kwezinyanga eziyisishiyagalombili ezingenazigameko ezitheni, leli thimba labuyela ekhaya.
Nakuba uMpaxa engesiye owesimame ongu-Colonel wokuqala kodwa ungowokuqala ukuphatha i-battalion elwayo.
UMPAXA wazalelwa wakhulela emaphandleni aseTranskei kanti waqala ukuqonda ngesimo sezombusazwe ngeminyaka yo-1980 ngesikhathi umama wakhe uNokufika wayemthumela ku-anti wakhe eKhayelitsha eCape Town ngamaholidi esikole.
“Ngaqala ukuya eCape Town ngisemncane ngineminyaka engu-13 ngenza uStandard Six. Eminyakeni edlule ngakha ubungani nentsha yezombusazwe.
“Kwakuthi lapho esephelile amaholidi, ngibuyele eMount Frere ngiyoqhubeka nokufunda.”
Ukungqubuzana namaphoyisa eKhayelitsha kwaphetha ngokuba aye emngceleni nasekudingisweni.
“Ngangibaleka ngiyocasha emalokishini aseKapa emva kokuba negalelo ekuqhubeni umzabalazo eKhayelitsha.
“Lapho ngangicashe khona kwahlasela amadoda afike adubula kodwa ngaphuma ngiphila. Ngangazi ukuthi kwakufanele ngife ngalelo langa, ngakhoke ngapakisha izimpahla zami ngalibhekisa eBotswana.”
Ekungaphumeleleni kwezifiso zakhe zokuba wudokotela, uMpaxa owayeneminyaka engu-19 weqa umngcele ngo-1989 egqoke umfaniswana wesikole walibangisa eGaberone, nokuyilapho afike waba ngumbaleki wakwelinye izwe.
Baqale bamvalela ejele, emva kwalokho wayiswa enkanjini eseBotswana ngaphambi kokuba adluliselwe eZambia.
Emva kwalokho wayiswa e-Uganda, nokuyilapho aqeqeshwa khona njengesosha leMK.
“Ukuqeqeshelwa ezempi kwakunzima, kodwa ngikufuna ukuba yisosha, ngabekezela kanye nabesilisa ukuze ngilwe ngelinye ilanga ngivikele abantu bakithi.”
Ngo-1993 wabuyela eSouth Africa ngokuphelele waqala waziqeqesha noMbutho wezokuVikela waseTranskei. Emva kokhetho luka-1994, waya kwabophiko lwezempi eWallmansthal ePitoli, nokuyilapho iMK, Apla neSADF babedidiyelwa ndawonye kwiSANDF.
Nakuba kwakunzima ekuqaleni, kukhona ukungathembani - uMpaxa uthi wabambelela kwayekholelwa kukho.
Ubuhlakani nokuziphatha kahle yikho okwenza uMpaxa aqashelwe ukuqeqesha amanye amasosha ngaphansi kohlelo lokuhlunga.
“Emva kwalo msebenzi, ngenqaba ukushintshelwa ngaphandle kwalesi sikhungo sokuqeqesha.”
Waze wakhalaza kowayengu-Ngqongqoshe wezokuVikela uJoe Modise.
UJoe Modise wasizwa kahle isikhalo sakhe wamkhuthaza wameseka.
EMINYAKENI eyisithupha eyalandela, wasebenzela eGoli, ePort Elizabeth naseGrahamstown ngaphambi kokuqokelwa ukuba ngu-commander weMthatha Infantry Battalion – nokuyilapho ayephethe abesilisa ababengaphezu kuka-1 000 ngo-2001.
“Usiko lwakwaXhosa alubaphathi abesimame ngokulinganayo, nokwathi lapho abantu sebengazi, bangihlonipha,” kusho yena.
“Ngiyakulwela ukuqeqesha amasosha azinikele ngoba ukungaphumeleli kwawo kungaba wukwehluleka kwami. Angikuthandi ukwehluleka.”
Kukhulu ukwesekwa akuthola emasosheni akhe. Omunye wezikhulu eziphethe, uhlale emlethela izimbali ezinsukwini ezithile ukuze aqhakazise ihhovisi lakhe. Umsebenzi wokuba yisosha uwenza awushintshanise nowokuba wumzali ongayedwana endodakazini yakhe uThabisa (10). UMpaxa uphinde asithole isikhathi sokwenza izifundo zakhe zeB.Comm – azoziphothula kulo nyaka.
“Ngisho nasembuthweni wezempi siyadinga ukuthuthukisa ulwazi. Imfundo yisona sikhali,” kusho yena. [z]
@LiveWire
BONA ZULU – March 2006
UColonel uzokubona manje…
“Ngihlose ukukhiqiza amasosha asebenza kanzima, ngoba ukungaphumeleli kwawo kungaba wukwehluleka kwami,” kusho uMpaxa.
Useyisikhulu sezempi
UNontobeko enendodakazi yakhe uThabisa ona-10.
BONA ZULU – March 2006
